Living in Two Regimes: Communism vs Capitalism

Sitting in the comfort of my living room, I flipped the remote control and stumbled upon a TV program that stirred my emotions and brought me 30 years back. The show was about a Communistic regime in North Korea, and I felt as though I was watching a video from my childhood: the kids being interviewed were wearing the same uniforms and saying patriotic speeches. I felt like it was me on that screen, being interviewed by an American journalist and representing my country, the Soviet Union.

I was born in Ukraine and grew up in classrooms decorated with pictures of our leaders: Vladimir Lenin, Karl Marx, and Freidrich Engels. I admired Lenin, who brought down the imperial despotism of Czar’s regime and provided people with a constitution and hope for democracy. Lenin brought communism, which came with equality to all people and saved them from serfage. The idea of egalitarianism was not just a theory but a reality. During the communistic regime, people had guaranteed employment, free education, and free healthcare. The majority had a degree and “not graduating from a high school” was not a thing because people strived for higher education. My father used to compare the communistic ideology to the Bible and Lenin to Jesus Christ.

Communism came with certain rules and regulations. Every student must belong to the following organizations: Little Octobrist, Young Pioneers, and Komsomol or “all-union Leninist young Communistic League.” Atheism was not a formal ideology; however, it was a preferred point of view. Religious beliefs were disqualifying principles and could be potentially dangerous. My maternal great-grandfather was one of the brave people who opened a new church in his community. Needless to say, he was punished by the government and lost everything, except his life. The local church that he established is gathering to this day. My teacher knew about the church and once, trying to protect me, whispered: “Remember, there is no God in school.”

I learned about the Cold War from an early age and during the school drills, we practiced putting on gas masks; it was preparation for a potential nuclear attack. However, no one among my classmates was excited about the possibility of the war or wanted to die for the regime. As any children, we wanted toys and happiness.

That being said, I did not live through all of the political states of communism because the regime fell when I was only 13-years-old. Unexpectedly, in 2003, I immigrated to America and had a long journey from being a non-English speaking janitor to getting a Bachelor’s degree and having a professional job.

Working at different jobs, I met people of various social classes. I noticed that people who came from financially stable families got a higher education, well-paying careers, and seemed more intelligent. For example, those born in a family of doctors were more likely to become doctors themselves. While working at the factory, I met a different class of people. Most of my coworkers never graduated from high school, and just because I had an accent, they perceived me as a complete stranger and knew very little about Ukraine or Eastern Europe. I felt that social difference is obvious here, but I also discovered that the door of opportunity is open for everyone as long as people had determination and the willingness to work. I was able to see capitalism in a different perspective; not as the system of lords and peasants, but a system based on the principle of individual rights. I see American political ideology as democratic capitalism which made this country very popular in the world, as well as, a desirable place to live. However, every system has flaws and while living here, I caught myself being a slave to the financial institution. The necessities, such as an education and a house, mean student loans and mortgages, resulting in credits that chain us for decades. A paycheck covers enough to pay the bills, and come an emergency or a sick day comes a smaller paycheck. For those who are not prepared, losing a job means losing the necessities. I haven’t even gotten to the hospital bills, as healthcare is so expensive.

Living on both sides, I learned that the location or the political regime did not make me any less or more of a human being. In both the USSR and USA, I met people who knew the difference between good and evil. I’ve experienced kindness and sincerity, but at times, have also been given the cold shoulder. We do not choose the place of birth or the regime we are born into; however, we can always choose to do what is right. As an intelligent species, we inhabit the same planet, which is our home.